Latest from Lamar, Notes from the Senate Desk
*A note from U.S.
Senator Lamar Alexander to his fellow Tennesseans:*
Sweeping relief
is on its way to help keep paychecks coming for Tennessee workers and
relieve financial burdens for Americans hurt by COVID-19.
Across our
state, people are anxious and many are struggling. I cannot remember
a time in my life, or in our nation's history, when the government has
temporarily shut down the country or individual states in order to
contain a disease, but that is what we have seen this month. And if the
federal government is going to close parts of the economy, for the
safety of the people, the federal government needs to pay for it.
The
United States Congress passed, and President Trump signed into law,
unprecedented legislation that will provide $1,200 checks for
individuals, increase unemployment compensation, defer tax and student loan
payments, generate trillions of dollars in economic support to keep
businesses open, and provide billions of dollars to help hospitals buy
medical supplies and speed the development of tests, treatments and
vaccines.
You can find more information at my website [link 1] -
[link removed] [link 2] - to help you take advantage of this
federal assistance package, as well as resources on how Tennesseans can
contain the spread and impact of this virus.
These are trying times,
but Tennesseans are resilient. As chairman of the Senate health
committee, I will continue to work to bring much needed relief to Tennessee
as we fight to deal with the impact and containment of this
disease.
Below is an op-ed I wrote for the *Tennessean*
that explains the new
law and what Congress is doing to help Americans during this
crisis.
*- Lamar Alexander, U.S. Senator for Tennessee*
**The
Tennessean: *Lamar Alexander: How the new coronavirus relief law helps
Americans*
*March 31,
2020*
*[link removed] [link
3]*
The government has temporarily shut down the economy because of the
COVID-19 coronavirus, and the government must help those who are hurt
by it.
Here is an email I received from the owner of a kennel in
Blount County, one of hundreds I've received from Tennesseans wanting to
know how the new federal law to help Americans hurt by COVID-19
affects them:
"We are suffering a massive drop off in our business as a
result of the coronavirus. I fear we may have to close our doors for a
month or two. ...I am currently trying to secure around $50,000 in
loans to supplement our dwindling reserves to see us through until May
or June. ...We're not seeking charity, just a business loan for $30,000
to $50,000 to secure our business until this passes. We always pay
our way."
The first goal of this new law is to keep paychecks coming,
so there are small business loans that may be forgiven to help
businesses like the kennel in Blount County, and there are also loans for
large businesses to help stabilize the economy and keep their employees
working.
*
How the law helps businesses and workers*
Here is
how the new law will help keep paychecks coming:
-
*A loan to
cover 8 weeks of payroll: *Small businesses can get a loan of up to 2.5
times their average monthly payroll.
Their expenses for payroll,
employee benefits, rent, utilities and interest on a mortgage during this 8
week period will be forgiven. The Treasury Department will approve
many lenders to make these loans, and could be the bank you already use,
or a nearby bank.
-
*Paid Sick leave:* Employers with fewer than
500 employees must pay two weeks of sick leave up to $511 per day for
any employee who is sick, quarantined, is caring for someone who is
sick, or is caring for a child whose school is closed. The employer
must pay for 10 more weeks of family leave, up to $200 per day, for an
employee who is caring for a child whose school has closed or their
childcare provider is unavailable.
The federal government will reimburse
employers for the full cost of this sick and family leave and advance
funds to employers who do not have the cash to pay it.
-
*Unemployment compensation:* The federal government is giving states an extra
$600 to add to every laid off employee's unemployment compensation
check for 16 weeks. In Tennessee, the maximum weekly benefit is $275;
with an additional $600 it will be $875.
*
How the law provides
economic relief to Americans*
The second goal is to relieve the
financial burden on as many Americans as possible.
If an individual made
less than $75,000 in 2019, they will receive a $1,200 check, or $2,400
per couple, with an additional $500 for each eligible child. The
Secretary of the Treasury said he hopes these checks will begin to arrive
within three to four weeks. This one-time payment does not have to be
paid back and is in addition to your paycheck, unemployment benefits,
disability or Social Security checks.
Federal income taxes don't
have to be filed until July 15, estimated tax payments can be delayed
until October 15, and it will be easier to use retirement savings
without a penalty.
Student loans payments are delayed without interest or
penalty for six months for 95 percent of borrowers.
*
How the
law fights the coronavirus*
The third goal is to contain the
disease. Here is how this bill will help:
-
All COVID-19 tests are now
free;
-
$100 billion is provided to help hospitals, including
hospitals in Tennessee
-
$16 billion to buy more protective
equipment, ventilators and medical supplies
-
$11 billion to speed up new
treatments and hopefully a vaccine.
-
$33 billion to help
schools and colleges that had to close early and to provide immediate
assistance to child care centers.
The most frequent question I've
received is when can we go back to work and out to eat and travel again?
There are different opinions about this. Governors, listening to the
advice of public health and medical professionals, should say when we
safely can relax
[link 4]restrictions on traveling, dining and working.
My hope is that, by listening to public health experts and making
millions more tests available, we will be able to quickly identify those
who have the virus so they can quarantine and seek care and those who
do not have the virus can feel comfortable going back to work and out
to eat using common sense hygiene and other precautions including
social distancing.
It will likely not happen all at once, and there
will be places where we have to pause again. But we will get
there.
*Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, is chairman of the U.S. Senate health
committee.
*
###
----------------------
footnotes
----------------------
[link 1]
[link removed]
[link 2]
[link removed]
[link 3]
[link removed]
[link 4]
[link removed]
Contact
Information:
Website:
[link removed]
Office Location:
Washington, DC Office
455 Dirksen Office Building,
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4944 | Fax: (202)
228-3398
Privacy Policy:
[link removed]
Unsubscribe:
[link removed]
